EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND NEW FOR 2026 – COMPLIMENTARY INDUSTRY PLAYBOOK
20 Strategic Choices Facing Hospitality Commercial Leaders in 2026
A practical playbook from the HSMAI Europe Strategy Labs
The challenges facing commercial leaders in hospitality are becoming more complex, interconnected, and fast-moving. From AI-driven discovery to rising cost pressures, from talent retention to technology fragmentation, the decisions commercial teams make today will impact and determine performance for years to come.
The HSMAI Europe Strategy Labs were created to move beyond discussion and focus on action. They provide a space where senior leaders can openly share challenges, pressure-test ideas, and work collaboratively toward practical solutions grounded in real-world experience.
This playbook captures the collective thinking from those sessions. It is designed as a practical toolkit – not a set of fixed answers, but a working reference to help commercial leaders prioritise more effectively, apply proven approaches, and focus attention where it will have the greatest impact over the next 12–36 months.
We hope it serves both as a reference point and as a catalyst for continued collaboration across the HSMAI Europe community.
How this playbook was created
The Strategy Lab topics were determined by insights gathered by the HSMAI Europe Rising Leaders Council from HSMAI Europe members, reflecting the most pressing challenges facing commercial leaders today.
These topics were debated during the HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Conference, held in London on 15 January 2026, where senior leaders, practitioners, and specialists participated in facilitated Strategy Labs.
Each lab was designed to:
- Focus on a clearly defined commercial problem
- Encourage honest discussion across roles and disciplines
- Move quickly from challenge to action
- Produce practical outputs hotels can apply immediately
This playbook distils the lab discussions, working notes, and 2-minute pitch summaries into a consistent structure for easy reference and application.
Leadership Development Program
(LDP)
Develop how your team speaks the language of business outside your specialty for better results across functions.
To progress in their career, wider business acumen and people skills become as vital to success, if not more so, than their technical know-how
Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME)
You’re a hospitality revenue professional and want to be recognized for your knowledge, experience, and capabilities in the discipline.
You need the premier credential dedicated to the art and science of revenue optimization. You need the CRME.
Excelling at Customer Centricity
(ECC)
With the ECC programmee, actions are proposed with clear ECC measurements to add value through your internal culture and communication planning, the inclusion of key stakeholders, employee engagement and service recovery methods.
Mentorship Program
Whether you operate on a national, European, or global level — and whether you are an emerging leader or a seasoned executive the need for continued learning and fresh perspectives has never been greater. The hospitality and travel industry is evolving rapidly.
To stay ahead, we must embrace growth, connection, and lifelong learning. That’s what the HSMAI Europe mentorship program is all about.
Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME)
You’re a hospitality revenue professional and want to be recognized for your knowledge, experience, and capabilities in the discipline.
You need the premier credential dedicated to the art and science of revenue optimization. You need the CRME.
Excelling at Customer Centricity
(ECC)
With the ECC programmee, actions are proposed with clear ECC measurements to add value through your internal culture and communication planning, the inclusion of key stakeholders, employee engagement and service recovery methods.
